The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-22
The Kiss of the Siren.

To the Editor OF the indianapolis Journal:
In your issue of last Sunday writer deplores
the fact that the Indianapolis Art Association
has purchased the wellknoRn painting, 'eThe
Kiss of the Siren" and after patronizinely re-
marking that 'rhs picture is we'll enough in it's
way. for that kind of picture" proceeds to
attack it for what 1t is not-a common enough
kind of supposed criticism among injudicious
writers-the burden of his plant being that
the fair siren has neither fsh-scales nor tail,
hence in his mind not artistic success. He
forgets that the early myths were created by
men who lived in different civilization from
our own. and had different ideas from ours, and
that they made the stories and legends that have
descended from myth poetic age the vehicle of
their experiences, their hopes and their
peculiarities. To-day the poet and artist who
makes use of them to convey his thought, must
reshape the materials SO that they may express
ideas. feelings. and experiences common to
In his mind the story becomes transformed until
it expresses, by external changes, the changed
scope the original meaning has assumed The
first requisite in the poetic treatment of q myth
is that it should be used as mere material, and
handled with perfect freedom. Adherence to the
sometimes enormously thought to be adherence
to truth, is not a merit, the sole object Of the
artist being to attain poetic expression Of his
idea.
Ruskir somewhere says that hundreds of
people can talk to one who can think, but thou
sands can think to one who can see." Chadwick
''0uDQreQS,"
rather than the "one." inasmuch as he has failed
to see the great work. He simply looked and
talks.
The fact is. blatantry is no evidence of per-
ceptlon. Astonishment is not seeing, nor even
a condition of real perception. We may pass
through surprise and enter into the new world
of understanding and there become filed with
the silence of seeing. No sees anything of
the ocean or the mountains in the first hour In
their presence. The same is true of the works
which man has made, as cathedral.
tAt1 nayn
have really seen Cologne Cathedral
you did not say it was ''just lovely" and then
go mp the Rhine And yet it is not much
the greatness of the object as the smallness of
our mental vision which delays perception; few
persons the wondrous beauty of clover
head, or of flmy butterfly. Have you
the back of Murren and looked across to where
the towering peaks of the JunRfrau lifted them
selves in grandeur against the summer sky7
If you have. you were first impressed with the
majesty and power of the mighty range, and
then you were silent. choked with the emotion
which 10 words could altogether express. Have
YOU fingered at NiaRara2 Then the fifth day
found it far more wondrous than the first, and
you only began really to comprehend that it was
your own perception, and not the powerful
there is wide differences in the
power of observation in different people, but
any one really possessed of the faculty Of
ine-i. g.. one who could grasp the breadth,
power and imagination that combine to make
1.-The Siren" really great WORDSWORTH have
been too seriously moved to have given utter
ance to such gamnerie
Perhaps picture of its kind in recent times
has received more favorable mention from the
critics and press of the cities where it has
been shown than has this very work.
Ia European art centers its supremacy
Questioned. and its great ability conceded by the
most eminent authorities of France, Germany
and England. That it has SHORTCOMINGS may
be true, but this may be said of all work of
human beings, ana it occurs TO one to question
whether this be not rather due to the indescrib-
able greatness of the theme. Since il has not
occurred to Chadwick that the artist had any
other idea than to paint nondescript
figure of the fnny tribe, l may here
quote from that eminent European critic, NJ
to look not only once or twice. but many times.
1t such a picture The Kiss of the Siren for
here have q thought worthiy expressed. In
Wertheimer's pictures the expression may not
always be according to the rules and fashions set
up by the schools. but the thought is always
makes it.elf respected. Il refreshes
Us to come into the presence of such work FOR
these are the men who found principles. and
their imitators and followers make what are
termed schools
s.rhis work emphasizes the value of thought in
a pcture-thought that is founded on intellect
ual force and culture. To him art Is something
ton he has in his work. and the sad, irrevocabe
destiny expressed in the movement of his figures
to their fate. 1t is the old undying story
of love. and death, and destiny that rms through
all legends and mythologies and remains uuiver-
sal in all human experience. The impressive
jarrine note of ultra realism No man could
have painted that lightly floating, graceful